Advertising device



J.. W. HALEY ADVERTISING DEVICE Sept. 8, 1942.

Filed Jan. 5, 1940 A7227; fifi aZa 3 772%, a. M

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Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNi'i r orrics ADVERTISING DEVICE Application January 5, 1940, Serial No. 312,577

(Cl. 4i)125) 4 Ciaims.

My invention relates to improvements in advertising devices particularly in the sign portions thereof bearing the advertising indicia.

An object of my invention is to provide a transparent advertising member for use in advertising signs having a convex outer surface and a rear surface having the edge on the rearmost portion thereof, said rear surface having depressions of the shape of advertising insignia extending forwardly therein and coatings of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depressions defining said insignia. I have found that if the outer surface of such a member be made convex, particularly spherically convex, that when the sign is viewed from in front, the said advertising insignia characters are readable through the front face of the transparent member and appear refracted from substantially the outer convex surface of said transparent member in the same degree of convexity as said outer surface, so that substantially all of said indicia may be observed when viewed from substantially any direction in front of said base, more particularly if said outer convex surface be spherically convex. I have found in practice that such signs can be read at angles approaching 90 from the perpendicular to the plane of said member, thus increasing largely the visibility of such signs and the impression they make on anyone viewing them. The outer convex surface appears to refract the light rays in a greater degree than if a plane outer surface be employed, which refraction may be increased by concaving the inner surface of said transparent member. The ideal type of such a member is the meniscus concavoconvex lens with both the concave rear and the convex front surfaces being spherical when the angle of refraction and stereoptic effect may be increased and regulated in the desired degree, although it is obvious that any suitable type of outer convex surface may be employed and any 7 suitable type of plane or concave inner surface may be employed.

A further feature of my invention resides in the fact that the depressions are preferably provided with certain parallel side walls thereof inclined in substantially a single direction and a supplemental coating of coloring matter of a different shade is applied to said inclined walls so that when the device is viewed from in front, said differently shaded side walls may provide a perspective shading effect.

I have also discovered that good results can be obtained if the transparent member hitherto described is mounted on an opaque surface of the base and I ,have also discovered that pleasing effects involving substantially the same degrees of refraction to produce the illusion of convexedly transparent images on the outer surface of the transparent member may be produced if the transparent member is mounted on a translucent light diffusing surface on said base and a light source is mounted in rear of said light diffusing surface.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate various embodiments thereof.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an advertising device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken along the line Z2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational View of the transparent member of my invention provided with a translucent light diffusing surface attached thereto, and broken away for the purpose of illustrating the depressions extending forwardly in said transparent member from the rear surface thereof.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View of said transparent member taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front perspective View of an alternative embodiment of my invention wherein the base is provided with an opaque light reflecting surface. on which the rear surface of said transparent member having the edge thereof on the rearmost portionthereof is mounted, said transparent member also being of concavo-convex meniscus shape.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of the meniscus shaped transparent member employed in the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 5.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout, It or H) generally indicate embodiments of advertising devices constructed in accordance with my invention. parts of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4, I will employ unprimed reference characters, and

when referring to similar parts in the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 I will employ primed reference characters. Said devices include the base [2 or l2 which base has a flat portion l4 or I4 thereof provided either with the translucent light diffusing surface l4 thereon as shown In the description when referring to the in Figs. 1 and 2, or an opaque surface I4 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

My invention includes a transparent member IE or It for use in advertising signs having a convex outer surface I8 or I8 and a rear surface or 20 having the edge 22 or 22' thereof on the rearmost portion thereof. Said rear surface 20 or 20' is provided with the depressions 24 or 24' of the shape of advertising insignia 28 or 28' extending forwardly therein and a coating 26 or 26' of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depressions defining said insignia. Said transparent member I6 or I 6 may be made of any suitable transparent material such as glass, transparent resin, Lucite, crystal, etc.

A main feature of my invention comprises this transparent sign member I6 or I6 having a convex outer surface I8 or I8 and a rear surface 20 or 20 having the edge 22 or 22' thereof on the rearmost portion thereof, with said rear surface provided with said depressions 24 or 24' and the coatings 26 or 26' of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depression defining said insignia. I have discovered that if said outer surface of the transparent member be made of a convex shape, that when the transparent member IE or I6 is viewed from in front, said advertising insignia provided by the coatings 28 or 26' of coloring matter at the bottoms of said depressions 24 or 24' will appear refracted as the advertising insignia 28 or 28 with a convex curvature similar in convexity to that of the convex outer surface I8 or I8 from substantially the outer convex surface I8 or iii of said transparent member I5 or I5 so that substantially all of said advertising indicia may be observable when viewed from substantially any direction in front of said base as shown in Fig. 5. The coating 26 or 26 may consist of any suitable type of paint, lacquer, or other coloring material suitably colored by pigment or otherwise.

The rear surface 20 or 26 of said transparent member IG'or I6 may be plane as the rear surface 23 of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4. I have discovered that by making the outer surface convex that the angle of refraction is increased to mak the advertising matter or indicia 28 or 28' appear refracted from th outer convex surface I8 or I8. The-angle of refraction, however, of the light rays and hence stereoptic effect may be further increased if the rear surface 20 is concaved in addition, as in the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

In the preferred embodiments shown, the outer surface I8 or I8 is preferably spherically convexed in both embodiments to provide a solid spherical sector of the type commonly known as a lens, although my invention maybe employed on lenses, other than of true solid spherical sector shape. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the rear surface 29' also comprises a partially spherical concavity, preferably with a different degree of curvature from that of the outer surface I8, the relative degrees of curvature and hence convexit and concavit of the respective surfaces I8 and 26' varying the refractory power and hence stereoptic effect of the transparent member IE or I 6'. The transparent member is or I6 is preferably mounted in any suitable mannor in or on the base I2 or In the embodi ment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the base I2 is provided with an opaque portion I4 over and to which the transparent member is suitably mounted. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the transparent member I6 is mounted over a suitable translucent light diffusing surface I4 and an electric light bulb 3B, or other suitable light source, is mounted in rear of the transparent member I6 and the translucent light diffusing sheet I4 to attract more attention.

In order that the light source may not be reflected and refracted directly through the transparent member the translucent light diffusing surface I4 is interposed between said'light source 36 and transparent member I6. A suitable reflecting mirror 34 may be mounted in said container in rear of said light source to reflect and converge the rays thereof through said transparent member I8. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the electric light source 36 is mounted on a suitable base 36 mounted on the lower wall of the container 32 and suitably lighted from a suitable source of electricity by power provided through the wires 38. In the embodiment shown, the edge 22 or 22' of the rear surface 29 or 20 of said transparent member I6 or I6 is mounted substantially in alignment with the edge of said portion I or I4, whether it comprises the transparent portion I4 heretofore referred to, as shown in Figs. 1-4, or the opaque portion I 4' heretofore referred to as shown in Figs 5 and 6.

My invention provides satisfactory qualities, even if the light source and translucent light diffusing portion I4 be omitted and the translucent portion be replaced by a suitable opaque reflecting background I4, the advertising insignia being readily observable in convex shape as appearing from the outer convex surface I8 of said transparent member as shown in Fig. 5, the outside light, refiected by said opaque surface I4 and refracted through said transparent member IE being sufficient to bring out the advertising insignia 28 in the desired fashion.

As stated, however, in the embodiment shown I in Figs. 1-4 I produce substantially the same effect with an additional source of light behind it and the advertising effect is somewhat more startling.

A further feature of my invention comprises the increasing of the perspective effect produced by the advertising letters or insignia provided by the depressions 24 or 25 and the coloring matter 25 or 26' on the bottoms thereof. If the walls 40 or 48' of said depressions are not painted they may refract a silvery sheen to the edges of the advertising insignia.

I may, however, in accordance with my invention, provide certain parallel side walls 42 or 42 of said depressions inclined in substantially a single direction and if coatings of coloring matter 44 or 44' of a different shade from that of the coatings of coloring matter 26 or 26 in the bottom of said depressions be-applied to said inclined side walls 42 or 42, said differently shaded inclined side walls of said advertisinginsignia in said depressions 24 or 24 will thus provide a perspective shading effect increasing the perspective effect and reality of the illusions of making said advertising insignia appear re-' fracted from substantially the outer convex'surface of said transparent member and provided, when so refracted, with an exaggerated perspective effect of depth as shown in Fig. 5.

For ease of mounting the transparent member- I6 or I6 over the flat portion I4 or I4 of said gripping portion I2 or I2 it may be provided with the spring ring or 50'.

It is apparent therefore that I have provided a novel type of startling advertising device constructed of a small number of simple parts which may be employed for displaying advertising matter in a startling and novel fashion to have it observable from substantially any angle in front thereof and a novel type of a transparent member for use as such an advertising sign with the advantages explained above.

t is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An advertising device, comprising, in combination, a base having a flat translucent light difiusing transparent member mounting surface and a transparent member having a convex outer surface and a rear surface having the edge thereof on the rearmost portion thereof, mounted on said base over said translucent light diffusing portion to have the edge thereof substantially in alignment with the edge of said portion, said rear surface having depressions of the shape of advertising insignia extending forwardly therein, said depressions having certain parallel side walls thereon only inclined in substantially a single direction, a coating of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depressions defining said insignia and a coating of coloring matter of a different shade applied to said inclined side walls and a light source mounted in rear of said translucent light diffusing portion, whereby all said advertising insignia may appear refracted from substantially the outer convex surface of said transparent member so that substantially all of said advertising indicia may be observable when viewed from substantially any direction in front of said base with said differently shaded inclined side walls thereof providing a perspective shading effect.

2. An advertising device, in combination, a base having a flat opaque light reflecting surface and transparent member having a convex outer surface and a rear surface having the edge thereof on the rearmost portion thereof, mounted on said base over said light reflecting surface, said rear surface having depressions of the shape of advertising insignia extending forwardly therein, and a coating of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depressions defining said insignia, whereby all said advertising insignia may appear refracted from substantially the outer convex surface of said transparent member so that substantially all of said advertising indicia may be observable when viewed from substantially any direction in front of said base.

3. An advertising device comprising, in combination, a base having a flat transparent member mounting surface and a transparent member having a convex outer surface and a rear surface having the edge thereof on the rearmost portion thereof, mounted on said base portion, said rear surface having depressions of the shape of advertising insignia extending forwardly therein, said depressions having certain parallel side walls thereof only inclined in substantially a single direction, a coating of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depressions defining said insignia and a coating of coloring matter of a different shade applied to said inclined side walls, whereby all said advertising insignia may appear refracted from substantially the outer convex surface of said transparent member so that substantially all of said advertising indicia may be observable when viewed from substantially any direction in front of said base with said differently shaded inclined side walls thereof providing a perspective shading effect.

4. An advertising device comprising, in combination, a base having a flat opaque light reflecting surface and a transparent member having a convex outer surface and a rear surface having the edge thereof on the rearmost portion thereof, mounted on said base over said light reflecting surface, said rear surface having depressions of the shape of advertising insignia extending forwardly therein, said depressions having certain parallel side walls thereof only inclined in substantially a single direction, a coating of coloring matter applied to the bottoms of said depressions defining said insignia and a coating of coloring matter of a different {shade applied to said inclined side walls, whereby all said advertising insignia may appear refracted from substantially the outer convex surface of said transparent member so that substantially all of said advertising indicia may be observable when viewed from substantially any direction in front of said base, with said differently shaded inclined side walls thereof providing a perspective shading effect.

JOHN W. HALEY. 

